Botanical Stories

Botanical Stories is an ongoing series of paintings that explores the relationship between prominent Black women, nature and flowers.

Through botanical symbolism, historical research and personal reflection, each painting examines how the natural world shaped the lives of women whose courage and wisdom continue to inspire us today. Flowers are not used as decoration; they are chosen with the intention of reflecting themes of healing, freedom, spirituality and hope.

The series began with paintings inspired by Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, two women whose lives were deeply connected to the natural world. Harriet Tubman relied on her knowledge of the landscape and the night sky to guide others to freedom. Sojourner Truth found spiritual renewal and strength in nature, experiences that shaped her work as an abolitionist and preacher.

As the series grows, I hope to honor other prominent Black women whose lives reveal the many ways nature has served as a source of knowledge, healing, refuge and transformation.

Through Botanical Stories, I invite you to look closely, not only at the flowers themselves, but at the stories they help tell.